Mission
Since 1916, The Arts Club of Chicago has been a preeminent exhibitor of international art, a forum for established and emerging artists, and a celebrated venue for performers from around the world. For over 100 years, The Arts Club has opened its membership to artists and patrons of the arts, and its exhibitions to the public. At its inaugural meeting, the mission of the Club was defined as: “to encourage higher standards of art, maintain galleries for that purpose, and to promote the mutual acquaintance of art lovers and art workers.” The mission of the Club has since grown and expanded, and is now:
To encourage, foster, promote, and sponsor activities and presentations which would aim to increase public interest in the arts and related activities;
To expand the artistic horizons of a public interested in the arts and related activities, which will include lectures, lecture/demonstrations, symposia, gallery talks, films, music, and dance presentations, and related educational programs designed to further these purposes;
To maintain a facility for the presentation of these activities and exhibitions;
To acquire by gift or purchase, and maintain a permanent collection of fine art, and to present temporary exhibitions of the fine arts in a gallery open to the public.
The Arts Club continues to uphold this mission, offering between three and four public exhibitions per year, a permanent collection including work by many modern and contemporary masters, and a diverse calendar of programming offered to its membership and guests.
Land Acknowledgment
Chicago is located at the nexus of trade routes established by Indigenous peoples, principally the Potawatomi Nation and two other Indigenous tribes, the Odawa and Ojibwe. The Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Mascouten, Kickapoo, Sac, Fox, and Mound Builder tribes also thrived in this area. The Arts Club of Chicago’s immediate neighborhood was established by depositing landfill into the bed of Lake Michigan, converting waterways into man-made land. While non-Natives see the lake as claimable, traditional Potawatomi beliefs count water as a passageway rather than a boundary. The Arts Club recognizes these Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of this area. Today, Chicago remains home to one of the largest urban Indigenous populations. As a Chicago cultural institution that was founded with a focus on public education, we commit to lifting up this history and working to make visible the Indigenous peoples here.
Visit
The first floor galleries of The Arts Club are free and open to the public from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, Tuesday through Friday, and 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturdays. To see what’s on please visit our Exhibitions page.
The Arts Club also hosts free public lectures and performances on weekday evenings and Saturday afternoons. View events.
Members and their guests may utilize the dining facilities and attend weekly lectures and performances. Recent speakers have included figures across the arts such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Robert Storr, and Theaster Gates. Visit our Membership page to learn more about the application process.
There is no dress code for attending events at The Arts Club.
Highlights of The Arts Club of Chicago’s permanent collection are displayed on the second floor. This area is accessible to the public by appointment only.
Visitors may also request a tour of The Drawing Room on the first floor, which features a rotating installation of contemporary, Chicago-based artists.
The Arts Club’s collection, acquired from exhibitions and donated by members and artists, includes works by modern masters: Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Natalia Goncharova, , Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, Francis Picabia, and Pablo Picasso, among others. Recent contemporary acquisitions include Sigmar Polke, Peter Doig, Stephan Balkenhol, Suzanne Jackson, Kerstin Brätsch, Alex Katz, Richard Artschwager, Jean-Luc Mylayne, Walid Raad, Paul Thek, and Yayoi Kusama.
Accessibility
The Arts Club of Chicago works to provide a welcoming, accessible, and joyful experience for all of our visitors. Our galleries, dining spaces, and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Restrooms are located at the rear of the building on the first floor. A security guard may be able to direct visitors to a single-user restroom if preferable. All of our exhibitions and public programming are free of charge and hosted in accessible areas of the club.
If you have any questions prior to your visit, please do not hesitate to call (312) 787-3997 or email information@artsclubchicago.org so that we may assist you.
Parking
Valet parking is available from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Valet parking is also available for evening club events, and may be arranged for private rentals by the host.
If valet parking is unavailable during your visit, there are two nearby parking facilities, or we suggest SpotHero:
General Parking, at the southwest corner of Ontario and St. Clair
Standard Parking, at the northeast corner of Ontario and Fairbanks
Board of Directors & Staff
Officers
- Charles H. Mottier
President - Sarah Garvey
Vice President - Nina Owen
Treasurer - Rebecca Ford Terry
Secretary
Staff
- Janine Mileaf
Executive Director & Chief Curator - James Lucchesi
Finance Manager - Lucas Franco
Chef - Adam Mikos
Facilities & Gallery Director - Charla Moseley
Director of Hospitality - Jenna Lyle
Programs Director - David Merz
Marketing Communications & Membership Manager - Mia Morettini
Office Manager
Board of Directors
- Barbara Adelman
- Nada Andric (ex officio)
- Julia Langdon Antonatos
- Silvia Beltrametti
- Michelle Boone
- Robert J. Buford
- Heiji Choi Black
- Allison Cuddy
- Sean Eshaghy
- Ginger Farley
- Margie Kamin Feitler
- Sunny Fischer
- Denise Gardner
- Sarah Garvey
- Joseph Gromacki
- Gloria Groom
- Glenn Holland
- Brooke Hummer
- Merrillyn Kosier
- Alexander Krikhaar (ex officio)
- Ken Krimstein
- Laura Layfer
- Casey Maciasz
- Christy MacLear
- Eric McKissack
- Maggie Meiners
- Gary Metzner
- Natalie Moore
- Charles Mottier
- Geof Oppenheimer
- Nina Owen
- Kimberly Querrey
- Madeline Murphy Rabb
- Kanwar Singh
- Rebecca Ford Terry
- Christopher Williams
- Helen Zell
- Janine Mileaf (ex officio)
Honorary Board Members
- Robert Feitler
- Helyn Goldenberg
- Dirk Lohan
- Helen Harvey Mills
- Sophia Shaw
Employment & Internships
The Arts Club of Chicago’s mission to act as a forum for conversation between arts lovers and art workers extends to its staff, an enthusiastic community of professionals with diverse backgrounds and interests.
Employment
If you are a preparator and would like to keep your résumé on file for the future exhibitions, please send it, along with two professional references to information@artsclubchicago.org.
Other positions will be posted when available.
Internships
Internships at The Arts Club offer current students and recent graduates the opportunity to work in a context imbued with a rich history of engagement with the arts on a local, national, and international level. Interns are assigned to projects that match their specific skill sets and career interests, from graphic design and marketing to research and programming. In addition to their individual projects, interns have the opportunity to attend lectures, discussions, and performances hosted by The Arts Club, usually open only to members and their guests.
The Arts Club accepts applicants for full-time and part-time internships on an as-needed basis. Check back for occasional opportunities, or submit a resumé and cover letter for us to keep on file. Materials may be emailed to information@artsclubchicago.org.
Catering & Private Events
The Arts Club is an elegant and sophisticated venue for cocktail parties, receptions, lectures, meetings, and other gatherings. The Arts Club offers two private rooms, as well as a Salon space and Dining Room, and is equipped for film screenings, lectures, weddings, live music, and more. It can accommodate groups ranging in size from 5 to 300 guests.
Choose from a variety of hors d’oeuvres, soups, salads, entrées, and desserts from the menu or work with the Chef and Director of Hospitality for custom requests.
Since The Arts Club of Chicago is a private organization, rentals require sponsorship. To inquire about hosting an event with The Arts Club, please contact the office at 312.787.3997 or email catering@artsclubchicago.org.
History
